President Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. Robin Rand for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general for his new assignment as commander of 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Rand has been special assistant to the Air Force vice chief of staff since October 2010. He would fill the leadership post made vacant with the retirement of Lt. Gen. Glenn Spears, who led 12th AF since August 2009. (DOD release)
The U.S. and Sweden signed a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement on Dec. 5 that will strengthen military ties between them and likely lead to U.S. troops and prepositioned gear on Swedish soil. Swedish Defense minister Pal Jonson said the war in Ukraine prompted Sweden's joining NATO and he laid out…